Subway Tile Tutorial Part 2

For ya’ll to appreciate our efforts, let me give you a quick BEFORE tour….

This is what we saw {and smelled} our second time coming to look at this house.. we were trying to decide if we REALLY wanted to take on such an enormous re-model.

Don’t ya just love the raw particle board shelving unit wedged between the toilet and tub? It was SO gross, stains and spills all over it!

I don’t know HOW the toilet even worked, it had cracks all over it and it was sinking through the floor.

And the TUB SO gross, I wish I would have taken a picture of the inside, but then some of you wouldn’t have been able to eat for days! You can see all the mold on the window and in the tile touching the tub… I have gone thru a lot of bleach in this house, before the house was even ours, I was spraying everything down with Lysol and Bleach LOL!!

Finally the house was ours, and we started tearing EVERYTHING apart immediately!

Our original plan DID NOT include tearing down all the walls, they seemed to be in great shape. All we were going to do was replace all the fixtures, {new Sink, Toilet, & Tub} unfortunately when we tore out the tub we found LOTS of mold. We thought it would be wise not to leave any other ‘secrets’ behind the walls. so they all came down {to our benefit, I might add}

New sheetrock for a tiny bathroom like this was very affordable, and we made sure to buy green board. Tearing out the walls gave us total plumbing access, so we swapped out the old plumbing for PEX {Super Cheap}

YES, that is a sink upside down in the tub… It was my dream sink, unfortunately we could NOT get it to work in this bathroom.. but I will save it for the next one!

Go HERE to read about the other sink we found and for after pics of the bathroom cabinet.

OK let’s get down to PART 2 and finish up with the Grout!

1. You can’t grout without a rubber float, so make sure you have one, I took a close up pic of the label just in case.

You will need a sponge to clean your tile really well after you get the grout on AND when you start sealing the grout.

{the level inched it’s way into this pic somehow, but you will need it when you are laying the tile}

2. Grout, a pretty obvious component.. Grout comes in MANY different colors, so pick the one you think will go with your tile and decor the best.

I picked DELOREAN GRAY #165. At first I wanted a dark grey, but then I saw this.. How could I resist a color that reminded me of my favorite movie ‘Back to the Future’? HA HA Anyway I really liked the lighter grey, and now that it is all done, I am LOVING it!

3. Grout Sealer.. We My husband bought a couple others before we got this one. I told him to look up their ratings online. When he finally did, we returned them and asked an associate what his favorite sealer was and he recommended this one. We have been happy with it so far, and it had great ratings online.

4. More Calk {Same brand as Grout}.. I don’t know if you can see it or not, but it is also DELOREAN GREY. Use this to do a final bead around the edge of the tub where it meets the tile {pictured below} and around your faucet fixtures.

1. Make sure your tub is protected! Throughout the WHOLE process!

Since my hubs use to be a professional painter, we have this nifty masking tool {picture #2} So we masked the edges of the tub so the grout lines would be straight.. I recommend this, even if you just have to use some thick tape.

You can get a masking tool at any paint store

3. Follow the mixing directions on the bag of Grout and get started! Scoop some up on your float and press it into every nook, cranny, and joint!

4. Take an Ibuprofen when you start, cuz man o man your arms & shoulders get sore and tired quick! I gave my hubs a lil break, it really is pretty easy. We had it grouted in 2 hours.

CLEAN AS YOU GO!! Have a wet sponge handy, after an area has set for about 15 minutes, wipe it down really well.

As you can see there are 2 buckets in the tub with me, one has the grout, and the other has clean water so I can constantly rinse my sponge.

After it is all wiped down and looks pretty clean, go over the tile again really good with a soft rag until there is no more grout residue. Let the grout cure 48 to 72 hours depending on the brand, before you can start sealing.

OH GEEZ!

Sealing the grout looks exactly like cleaning the grout! Use a smaller sponge or you will waste a lot! Also have lots of soft rags that your are willing to throw out.

Wipe the sealer over the grout and tile, paying special attention working it into the grout. As you go, wipe off your tile with soft rags, if you don’t you will see clear drips on your tile.

DO 2 coats, one right after the other. To completely seal the grout only took about an hour. Then let it cure for 48 to 72 hours.

Caulk your edges {AGAIN}.. Run a bead of caulk around the perimeter of the tub, then smooth it out with your finger being careful to wipe off excess often. Let dry for a few hours.

WOW! DONE! Install your tub fixtures and shower curtain and you are good to go get your clean on!!

*We were able to install most of the fixtures ourselves with no problems, But because I wanted a fancy spout our neighbor had to come help us a bit.

I had to include this lil cabinet. I had been looking for more storage for this lil bathroom, but I knew with the awkward measurements and tight spaces I would have to have something custom built…

Well I went to an antique auction just up the street from my house, and this lil gal came up, I bid $20.00 and I got it!!

I had NO clue if it would even fit, but it does!! PERFECTLY!!

The only thing I did to it was clean it! {which is NOT like me, but I didn’t think it needed changing… yet}

Recap

If you have ANY questions about how to lay tile, or remodeling, or makovering.. let me know, I am glad to help!

Discussion

Thanks SO much Anna! I thought it was NEVER going to get done… four months of showering at my moms or my in-laws was more than enough for me! LOL Now if I could get my laundry room done! Geez it never ends.Andrea @QueenBandme recently posted..Bathtub Face {Makeover}

Seriously amazing! This bathroom is very similar to mine. We have the same mold issues, etc. This is our next big project and I was actually thinking about doing subway tile also. I love all of your suggestions and photos to go along with the post. Now if I could just conquer our project.Julie {Angry Julie Monday} recently posted..Hello Monday

WOW THANKS!!! Seriously, you can do it!!! I thought it was going to be a LOT harder than it really was! It just takes TIME. The subway tile is easier and harder at the same time, when you have bigger tiles, you have A LOT more cuts to make, with the little tiles you can piece them around a bit easier… it just takes longer because instead of 80 tiles you have 400 or so LOL, but TOTALLY worth it for the look you want!!! Good luck, and get started! Get in touch with me if you have ANY questions!Andrea @QueenBandme recently posted..Bathtub Face {Makeover}

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!! I know, I am in LOVE with subway tile, and I felt like it matches the era of my house the best too!! If you promise to help, and buy me lunch I would be more than HAPPY to come help you do yours!
XOXO
AndreaAndrea @QueenBandme recently posted..Bathtub Face {Makeover}

I have been waiting a long time {10 yrs} to finally decorate my OWN house, so I am going full steam ahead LOL!
But Seriously, THANK YOU for the super duper kind words, that means a whole lot to me!!Andrea @QueenBandme recently posted..Bathtub Face {Makeover}

We are in the middle of the same project as this but we are stuck with what to do about the window. Did you replace the window? and also, did you do anything special around it with the tile? We can’t decide either to go with a window or glass blocks….